- 15 hours ago
Szczesny confirms Barcelona move with ‘disrespectful’ comment
Robin Bairner
- 26 Sept 2024 07:16 BST
- 2 min read
Wojciech Szczesny has confirmed that he will complete a move to Barcelona, despite having retired a matter of weeks ago.
The former Arsenal and Juventus goalkeeper is set to step up for the Blaugrana following a serious injury to No.1 Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is set to miss the remainder of the season following patellar tendon surgery.
With Barcelona left with only the relatively inexperienced Inaki Pena to keep goal, the Camp Nou side have been forced to dip into the free agent market via a move for Szczesny, who appears primed to compete for the No.1 role.
While there had been several candidates to sign for Hansi Flick’s side, the coach favoured the former Poland international, who has now confirmed to Sport that he has given the green light for a deal.
STATS
Wojciech Szczęsny
GK
Wojciech Szczęsny
GK
“I have a lot of respect for Barça’s history; it is one of the best clubs in the world. I understand the difficult situation that has arisen for them after Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s injury and I think it would be disrespectful of me not to consider this option,” Szczesny said.
Szczesny is expected to undergo a medical with Barcelona before the weekend and could feasibly be in the squad to face Osasuna on Saturday.
Can Szczesny play in the Champions League?
UEFA regulations mean that Barcelona are in a position to register Szczesny for the Champions League if Ter Stegen is taken out of their roster for the competition.
A goalkeeper who is injured for a period of 30 days or more can be replaced, and the Germany international finds himself in this position.
The only glimmer of hope for Ter Stegen, though, is that he can be brought back into the squad at a later point if Szczesny was to drop out.
